Device for tightening flexible lines



April 20, 1926. 1,581,164 7 A. BOYNTON DEVICE FOR TIGHTENING FLEXIBLE LINES Filed March 26, 1925 3 Sheets-$heet 1.

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ATTORNEYS April 20, 1926. 1,581,164"

' r A. BOYNTON DEVICE FOR TIGHTENING FLEXIBLE LINES Filed March 26, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 VENTOR. uqlamrutwfl 0 766070 ATTORNEYS.

April 20 1926.

A. BOYNTON DEVICE FOR TIGHTENING FLEXIBLE LINES 3 Sheets-Shei 5 Filed March 26 ATTORNEYS wire fences or the like.

Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

UITED STATES ALEXANDER BOYNTON, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

DEVICE FOR TIGHTENING FLEXIBLE LINES.

Application filed March 26, 1925. Serial No. 18,644.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER BoYN'roN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Device for Tightening Flexible Lines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to a device for tightening or tensioning flexible lines and is particularly designed and adapted for use in tightening the guy wiresused on oil well derricks, gin poles, telegraph poles, telephone poles or the like as well as in tightening small cables, clothes lines,

The object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which may be easily applied to the line to be tightened and easily operated to tighten the line and which is securely held in line tightening position. v

One of the principal objects of the invention resides in the provision of a device having the advantages and capacities mentioned which may be applied to either side of the line to be tightened and turned in either direction to tighten the same, the device being so constructed that it will effectively tighten the same in tightened position.

A further object resides in the provision of a line tightener operating in the manner hereinabove set forth and which may be powerfully actuated to set up a high degree of tension in heavy cables.

A still further object resides in the provision of a line tightener of the character specified which is of simple and durable construction, reliable and elfective in operation and easy and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture. Other objects and advan tages reside in certain novel features of the construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a view thereof in top plan;

Figure 3 is a view in top plan of another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3 but showing the wrench removed;

Figure 5 is a view in section on line 5-5 of Figure 3; a

Figure 6 is a view showing a further modified form of the device illustrated in Figure 4:; r Figure 7 is a view in elevation illustrating an extension or wrench applied to the handle of the device shown in Figures 1 and2,

Figure 8 is a sectional view of the de-.

vice shown in Figure 7 Figure 9 1s a view 1n side elevation of another embodiment of the invention,

Figure 10 is a sectional view on the line 1010 of Figure 9, and

Figure 11 is a view in side elevation looking at the opposite side of the device from that shown in Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings and more es pecially to Figures 1 and 2, numeral 1 designates a. hub having a transverse slot 2 extending from a point adjacent its center out through one end thereof. The slot 2 is which it is formed and so is located at one side of the device- Adjacent to but spaced from the outer end of the handle 4 are a pair of oppositely disposed holding hooks 5 which extend inwardly, that is, in the direction of the hub 1.

With this arrangement when a line is to be tightened the device is so positioned that the line extends through the slot 2. The device is then rotated or turned as far as may be necessary to take slack in the line and properly tension the same. Rotation of the hub 1 causes the line L to wind on the hub and this rotation of the hub may be easily effected by the handle member 4. Irrespective of which way the device is turned it may be securely held with the line properly tensioned by engaging the proper hook 5 with the line L. The provision of oppositely disposed hooks makes it possible to hold the line tensioned irrespective of how the device is turned or irrespective of how it is applied to the line. In other words, the device maybe applied to either side of the line and turned in either direction and yet held in position to maintain the line tensioned. The provision of only a single-'- handle member and the location of both hooks on the handle member facilitates the turning of the hub without interference from the hooks.

Under ordinary conditions ample power may be easily applied by means ofthe handle 4 but if a high tension is to be applied to a heavy cable the device shown in Figure 7 may be employed. This consists of an auxiliary wrenchor handle extension designated at 6 which may consist simply of apiece of pipeioneend of which is adapted to=fitover the outer end of the handle a and the other end of which isbentas'at 7 to provide a gripping portion. The end 'of the wrench or-extension 6 which is fitted on the'handle 1 abuts thehooks 5 which alsorhave the function of limiting the inward :movement iof the handle extension 6 onto: therhandle 4:.

ln'the embodiment shown in Figures 3, 4'and 5 a hubdesignated at 10 is provided and is identical to the hub 1, the hub 10 having a slot 11 and-also having retaining fingers 12 integrally formed therewith. The

retaining fingers 12 are similar to. the retaining fingers 3 of the embodimenthereinaboveqdescribed but all of these retaining fingers 12'taper toward their outerends and all "Of them are provided with'openings 13 at their outerends. The openings 13 are transversely alinedrand provide sockets for.

a Jpin'14 which isengageable with the line L to holdthe device in line tightening or tensioningpo'sition. \AS will be understood from the inspection of :Figures 3 and 4: thereis .no handle =integrally formed with any ofzithe retaining fingers 112 01 this em-: bodiment of the invention, but aweb 15T isintegrallyiormed with two of the fingers 12 and with the hub 10. The hub 10 is to provide handles. vA block '19 is weldedv to the pipe 17 intermediate its ends .andthe block19 is slotted as at 20. The web 15-is received in the slot 19;and-both the web and the blockare .provided witlrregisteringiopenings through which a retaining pin 21 is inserted and suitably secured.v The.

block19 is formed with reduced extensions or tongues 22 which "fit'into the notches 16. The purpose of theblock 19,-web 15 andpin 21 as w'el-lasof the notches 16 and tongues 22 is to provide a releasable connection'between the wrench or handle17 and thezhub spool 10. When the device shown vin Figures 3, 4

and 5 is to be used to tighten a line the line is positioned in the slot 11 and th: pin 1 1 is removed. The wrench 17 is connected with the hub 1 by means of the block 19, web 15 and pin 21'and the handles 13 are grasped and the Wrench 17 then turned to wind the wire on the hub 10. When the desired degree of tension has been set up in the wire the pin 14 is introduced through the alined openings of two of the retaining fingers 12 to hold the hub 10 and rctainingfingerslQ in such positionastosecure the wire properly-tensioned.

As-shown in :Figure 6 in addition to the openings 13 :in the fingers 12 notches 25 may be formed in these fingers to provide seats or sockets for the pinsl l. The pins 14 are held in the-notches'25 by the tension of the line L. Also the web 15 may be omitted andathe hub maybe formed with aisquared socket-26designed to receive 'accorrespondingly formed projection 27 provided on a wrench 28 whi-chis similar to the wrench-17.

In the embodiment in Figures 9, 10 and 11 the device includes a hub, indicated :at 30, and a pair of retainingelements integral with the hub, the retaining elements .comprising circular discs 31 and 32 having enlarged rims 33 and 34,.eaohof which is.provid'ed with a circularser-iesof openings 35. The openings 35 of the discs '31 :are transversely aligned. The hub 30is formed with a slot 36designed .to receive the line to be tightened and the disc 32'has a sloti37 which permits theline to be passed into: the slot 36. Thedise 31has integrally :formed therewith an outwardly projecting Web 38 designed to co-actwwith a wrench having a socket-adapted to receivet-he web andv having a suitable shank and handle. The wrench referred to may be of the type shown in Figure 3. The web 38 has-anopening 39 so that itmay be fas'tened by a pin or bolt and nut to the socket of the wrench, the socket of the wrench having openings adapted to be. aligned with the opening '39. The wrench is illustratedlin dot and dash lines in Figure 10.

-I claim:

. LA-device for tighteninguflexible. lines.

ments' fixed on the hub forpreventing the line from slipping endwise off the same,said retaining elements having transversely aligned: openings, means for turning the hub to wind the linethereon, and aipin insertible in the transversely aligned openings f :the retaining elements and engageable with the line for holding the line tightened.

2; A device .for tighteningtflexible :lines comprising a hub having a transversely extending line-receiving slot .opening out through one end of the hub and terminating short of its other end, retaining elements fixed on the hub. for preventing the line from slipping endWise ofi the same, one of said retaining elements having a slot aligned with the slot of the hub to permit the line to be entered into the slot of the hub, said retaining elements having transversely aligned openings, means for turning the hub to Wind the line thereon, and a pin insertible in the transversely aligned openings of the retaining elements and engageable with the line for holding the line tightened.

b. A device for tightening flexible lines comprising a hub having a transversely ex tending line receiving slot opening out through one end of the hub, circular end plates fixed on the hub and having transversely aligned circular series of openings, one of said hubs having a diametrical slot aligned with the slot of the hub to permit the line to be entered into the same, the other plate having means co-operable With a wrench whereby the device may be turned, and apin selectively insertible in the transvorsely aligned openings of the plates and engageahle With the line for holding the same in position.

ALEXANDER BOYNTON. 

